A Meissen porcelain tureen from the "Vestunen" service for King Friedrich II
A Meissen porcelain tureen from the "Vestunen" service for King Friedrich II
"Französisches Dessin" model on pad feet and rocaille supports, with two finely painted mascarons forming the handles. The corresponding associated Marseille model cover with a rose finial. Blue crossed swords mark. Wear to the glaze of the tips of the noses, minor chips to the finial, one small branch restored. H 26.5, W ca. 33 cm.
1763, model by Johann Joachim Kaendler.
Following the peace treaty of Hubertusburg between the Prussian, Austrian and Saxon royal families in February 1763, the Seven Years' War was finally over and people looked forward to more peaceful times. In November of the same year, Frederick II commissioned the Meissen manufactory to produce one of the most extensive and personalised services with around 60 place settings and lavish figural table decorations to mark the return of peace. Kaendler's workshop report of 11 November 1763, published by Samuel Wittwer, states: "First of all, Your Royal Majesty requests a completely new table service with antique hanging festoons, which are attached to the heads of putti in high relief, for which Your Royal Majesty has given a drawing in his own hand; [. ...] The painting is to consist of beautiful flowers, such as roses, poppies, carnations, hyacinths, poplars, tulips, monstroses, in particular also with beautiful auriculas well applied, for which Your Royal Majesty has graciously arranged. Your Royal Majesty has graciously ordered that never more than 2 flowers should be placed on a plate or bowl, and that they should be arranged proportionately and with care so that the colours do not clash. It has also been ordered that this service shall be called the Vestunen Servis." (op. cit., p. 68 f.) The name of the service has gone down in history thanks to this written source. The word Vestunen = festoons refers to the floral garlands that decorate the vessels and plates, the moulding of which can be described as the most elaborate stage of production.
Only very few items from the service are known to exist today. The Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld owns a tureen and a roasting dish, while the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg holds two cloches and the centrepiece described in detail by Kaendler. The Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts has two of the dessert or fruit baskets from former Hohenzollern property as well as an unpainted plate. In the Dresden Porcelain Collection there is one of originally 240 dinner plates. The five-piece centrepiece of the figurative table decoration for the Vestunen service has been preserved in the Munich Residence Museum; the king wanted it undecorated. Prior to the Second World War, the Potsdam City Museum owned one of the 20 cloches; but this is now thought to have been lost during the war.
We would like to thank Mr. Dag Nabrdalik for this catalogue text.
Literature
For a detailed history of the service see Wittwer, "hat der König von Preußen die schleunige Verfertigung verschiedener Bestellungen ernstlich begehret" - Friedrich der Große und das Meißener Porzellan, in: Keramos 208/2010, pp. 67 - 74, fig. 61, the tureen with the matching lid but incorrectly painted in the Uměleckoprůmyslové Museum collection in Prague.
Bid on this lot
A Meissen porcelain tureen from the "Vestunen" service for King Friedrich II
"Französisches Dessin" model on pad feet and rocaille supports, with two finely painted mascarons forming the handles. The corresponding associated Marseille model cover with a rose finial. Blue crossed swords mark. Wear to the glaze of the tips of the noses, minor chips to the finial, one small branch restored. H 26.5, W ca. 33 cm.
1763, model by Johann Joachim Kaendler.
Following the peace treaty of Hubertusburg between the Prussian, Austrian and Saxon royal families in February 1763, the Seven Years' War was finally over and people looked forward to more peaceful times. In November of the same year, Frederick II commissioned the Meissen manufactory to produce one of the most extensive and personalised services with around 60 place settings and lavish figural table decorations to mark the return of peace. Kaendler's workshop report of 11 November 1763, published by Samuel Wittwer, states: "First of all, Your Royal Majesty requests a completely new table service with antique hanging festoons, which are attached to the heads of putti in high relief, for which Your Royal Majesty has given a drawing in his own hand; [. ...] The painting is to consist of beautiful flowers, such as roses, poppies, carnations, hyacinths, poplars, tulips, monstroses, in particular also with beautiful auriculas well applied, for which Your Royal Majesty has graciously arranged. Your Royal Majesty has graciously ordered that never more than 2 flowers should be placed on a plate or bowl, and that they should be arranged proportionately and with care so that the colours do not clash. It has also been ordered that this service shall be called the Vestunen Servis." (op. cit., p. 68 f.) The name of the service has gone down in history thanks to this written source. The word Vestunen = festoons refers to the floral garlands that decorate the vessels and plates, the moulding of which can be described as the most elaborate stage of production.
Only very few items from the service are known to exist today. The Kaiser Wilhelm Museum in Krefeld owns a tureen and a roasting dish, while the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg holds two cloches and the centrepiece described in detail by Kaendler. The Berlin Museum of Decorative Arts has two of the dessert or fruit baskets from former Hohenzollern property as well as an unpainted plate. In the Dresden Porcelain Collection there is one of originally 240 dinner plates. The five-piece centrepiece of the figurative table decoration for the Vestunen service has been preserved in the Munich Residence Museum; the king wanted it undecorated. Prior to the Second World War, the Potsdam City Museum owned one of the 20 cloches; but this is now thought to have been lost during the war.
We would like to thank Mr. Dag Nabrdalik for this catalogue text.
Literature
For a detailed history of the service see Wittwer, "hat der König von Preußen die schleunige Verfertigung verschiedener Bestellungen ernstlich begehret" - Friedrich der Große und das Meißener Porzellan, in: Keramos 208/2010, pp. 67 - 74, fig. 61, the tureen with the matching lid but incorrectly painted in the Uměleckoprůmyslové Museum collection in Prague.
